Automatic closure for containers

ABSTRACT

This invention is an improved automatic closure for squeeze bottles or the like, tubes, or containers of the type formed from flexible or semi-rigid, flexible material such as polyethylene or semi-rigid polyvinyl chloride having properties of resilient flexibility. The container is provided with a preferably tapered neck portion terminating in end lips which form an openable closure which is elongated. The material adjacent one or both of these lips is preferably formed with a deformation or set so that when portions of tapered side edges are sealed together, they provide the closure which is opened by pressure digitally exerted on the container and closes on release of pressure.

United States Patent [1 1 Herzig July 23, 1974 AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FORCONTAINERS [76] Inventor: Albert M. Herzig, 700 N. Rexford Dr., BeverlyHills. Calif. 90212 [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 387,470

[52] US. Cl. 222/212, 222/494 [51] Int. Cl B65d 1/32 [58] Field ofSearch 222/212, 494, 213

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,904,225 9/1959 Earles. Jr.222/494 X 3,610.47? lO/l97l Herzig 222/494 Primary ExaminerStanley H.Tollberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Herzig & Walsh [5 7] ABSTRACT Thisinvention is an improved automatic closure for squeeze bottles or thelike, tubes, or containers of the type formed from flexible orsemi-rigid, flexible material such as polyethylene or semi-rigidpolyvinyl chloride having properties of resilient flexibility. Thecontainer is provided with a preferably tapered neck portion terminatingin end lips which form an openable closure which is elongated. Thematerial adjacent one or both of these lips is preferably formed with adeformation or set so that when portions of tapered side edges aresealed together, they provide the closure which is opened by pressuredigitally exerted on the container and closes on release of pressure,

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention isan improved automatic closure for semirigid, flexible squeezablecontainers having the resiliently flexible characteristics ofpolyethylene or semi-rigid polyvinyl chloride. The invention is animprovement over that of US. Pat. Nos. 2,753,091; 2,8l5,l50; 3,315,849;3,45l,l20; and 3,469,478. In the background patents referred to, thecontainers shown have a neck portion with an automatic closure at theend of it. Typically, the side edges or side portions of the neck areflattened and joined, being heat sealed together.

It was discovered that an improved automatic closure could be created ina simple, effective way without the application of a separate stiffeningor stretching memher to the neck portion of the automatic closure asheretofore sometimes advantageously used with more rubbery orelastomeric materials such as rubber or plasticized vinyl, by the use ofa stiffer, more selfsupporting, but nevertheless springy or resilientmaterial of the nature of polyethylene in the manner described in detailherein.

Also, using the method of heat sealing described herein and theparticular polyethylene materials referred to or their like, asatisfactory automatic closure can be formed merely by incorporating aparticular inherent set or deformation in the material at one or bothsides of the neck of the container, i.e., the lips, to hold the surfacestogether at this point, except when manual pressure is applied to forcecontents out of the container or optionally, by preforming a set ordeformation in or at the neck of the container and sealing together sideportions of the neck including at least a part of the area of thedeformation.

A primary object is to realize an openable closure by way of theinherent set formed in at least one of the lips.

Another object is to provide an improved automatic closure forsqueezable containers comprising a neck having tapered side edges orparts sealed together to from an openable outlet having opposed lipseither one or both of which is advantageously provided with an inherentset so that these lips normally are held against each other to provide aclosure, except when manual or the like pressure is applied to thecontained material. A corollary object is to realize a closing force inthe closure by way of having a sealed together area that overlaps thedeformation or set.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and additionaladvantages of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description and annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a preferred form of automatic closure ofthe invention prior to sealing of the side edges;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with side edges sealed;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container of FIGS. 1 and2;

FIG. 4 illustrates utilization of the container of FIGS. I, 2, and 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of closure before sealing of the sideedges;

FIG. 6 is a view of the container of FIG. 5 with the side edges sealed;

FIG. 7 illustrates utilization of the container of FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 6;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. I shows a preferred way toachieve positive closing pressure by tension or stress on the adjacentclosure lips without changing the straight line slit appearance at theend of the tubes as shown in FIG. 2.

In the first embodiment, the container if formed from a material such aspolyethylene having a suitable degree of springiness or resiliency buthaving such a degree of stiffness that stand-up type of bottles orcontainers are customarily made from it. Such containers can be formedby any suitable method such as blow molding or the like, preferably withtapered neck and side edges.

In the invention as described, the tapered side edges of the neck areoptionally molded in an integral blank or in halves or blanks bondedtogether as aforesaid along their edges. In either event, the sides ofthe mouth define separated edges which when pressed to gether and whensealed, form the outlet. The deformation is formed on one or both sidesof the neck, i.e., one or both lips, and may be impressed or formed onone or both sides of the neck by a heated forming die or in the processof forming the blank. The deformed surface merges with the tube orcontainer body 10. FIG. I shows the relative positions of the edges withthe sides of the neck being brought together but prior to heat sealing.

For example, if the container is blow molded, the body of the container(including any desired bottom, presealed or not) is formed in aconventional manner which may provide integral blanks for the lips ofthe closure. However, the banks are each advantageously formed with theinherent set as will be described. In the sides of the containeradjacent the ends of the lips I7 are flattened tab areas 13-15 andl3'-l5'.

Edges l3, 15, I3, and 15' which are in the form or tabs are sealedtogether whereupon the end of the neck appears as in FIG. 2 with thesealed areas held contiguously or flush against each other, asidentified at 14 and 16. Thus, when the flattened side tabs arecompressed together and sealed in a flat plane, i.e., as viewed in FIG.2, they inherently maintain a closing bias on the outlet.

Either one (or both) of the lips is preformed with a set provided by adeformation 17 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 before sealing and closingalong tapered edges 18 and 19 of the tapered neck of body 10. Such setis readily accomplished during the blow molding or other such forming oftube 10 itself. The set as shown in the exemplary embodiment is simply aflattening of the rounded tapered side portions. Areas 17 and 17'designate deformed flattened areas adjacent lips 20 and 21. In thismanner, it is possible to place the adjacent lips under any desiredclosing tension or stress by selection of materials of varying degreesof flexibility and rigidity and various wall thickness and/or curvature.The manner of sealing along the tapered edges is described in detailhereinafter.

Numeral 20 identifies the boundary of the deformation or permanent setarea 11. Sealed areas 14 and 16 overlap this boundary. The boundaryitself is flattened giving rise to a stress in the material of lip 20,urging it against lip 21 and resisting deformation away from that lip.The resulting outlet can then be straight or it may have differentdegress of curvature depending upon whether one or both lips 20 or 21are initially deformed. In either event, the contents extrude throughthe outlet under sufficient digital pressure applied to container bodyshown in FIG. 4.

An alternative construction reflected by container 30 is shown in FIGS.S7. Container 30 is similarly formed having a tapered neck or upperpart, but of material of the nature of soft rubber or plasticizedpolyvinyl having less stiffness than polyethylene and its like. In FIGS.5 and 6, flattened tabs 13-15 and 13l5 are omitted, nevertheless areas14 and 16 being pressed flat and sealed or bonded. When bonded or sealedas in FIG. 6, the closure opens in response to digital pressure. Whenportions adjacent the tapered edges 31-32 and 3l'-32 8 are heat sealedas shown, a closure as illsutrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 results. FIG. 5illustrates one way of forming the bottom of the container.

ln FIGS. 1-7, the outlet walls (lips) are flat and merely in touchingcontiguity with one another when viewed from the top. The straightwalled or flat closure thus provides an adequate closing pressure formost liquid contents of a collapsible type of container or squeeze tubewhich is intended to be laid on its side. But in some cases as in astand-up bottle, it is adequate to provide a dust proof closure sincethe lips of the opening are in straight line in closely contiguous ortouching relationships from edge to edge, though unstressed. Thus thoughpreferably used for a stand-up type container. it can be used as onewhich is intended to be laid on its side or hung upside down if thecontents of the tube are not under pressure and are relatively viscousand the lips flexible but sufficiently rigid. Otherwise, positiveclosure pressure is required.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand thenature of the invention and the manncr in which it achieves the objectsand advantages as set forth in the foregoing.

The herein disclosure of representative forms of the invention isintended to be illustrative, the invention to be accorded the full scopeof the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container made of a resilient material and having an openableclosure adapted to open for dispensing contents of the container inresponse to the application of pressure to the container, the closurecomprising lips formed of side portions of the container which in closedposition are juxtaposed against each other and held together in sealingrelationship, the container having a curving cross sectional contour andhaving portions which are sealed together adjacent to the ends of thelips, the material of the container adjacent to at least one of the lipshaving a permanent set in it, the permanent set constituting adeformation in the surface of the material, there being a boundarybetween the deformation and the normal curved contour, the sealedtogether area of said portions of the container overlapping saidboundary whereby the material of the deformation of the one lip isstressed so as to be held in firm sealing engagement with the other lip.

2. An article as in claim 1, wherein the container has a roundedconfiguration, said deformation being constituted by flattening of oneside wall portion of the container adjacent to a lip.

3. An article as in claim 1, wherein said portions of the containerwhich are sealed together are constituted by material which extendsoutwardly laterally on opposite sides of the container from the bodythereof so that when sealed, opposite sides of the container at the endsof the lips extending away from the lips are held sealed together.

4. An article as in claim 1, wherein the boundary defined between saiddeformation and said curved surface contour of the container is a curve.

5. An article as in claim 2, wherein the boundary defined by said flatdeformation and said curved contour of the container is a curve.

6. An article as in claim 1, wherein said side portions of the containerwhich are held together in sealing realtionship are tapered at theirlateral edges.

7. An article as in claim 1, wherein the materials of the containeradjacent both of said lips have permanent sets therein, each defining abouundary between the deformation and the normal curved contour of thecontainer and the sealed together area of said portions of the containeroverlapping said boundaries whereby to stress the material of thedeformation of both lips in a manner to cause them to normally be heldtogether in firm sealing relationship.

1. In a container made of a resilient material and having an openableclosure adapted to open for dispensing contents of the container inresponse to the application of pressure to the container, the closurecomprising lips formed of side portions of the container which in closedposition are juxtaposed against each other and held together in sealingrelationship, the container having a curving cross sectional contour andhaving portions which are sealed together adjacent to the ends of thelips, the material of the container adjacent to at least one of the lipshaving a permanent set in it, the permanent set constituting adeformation in the surface of the material, there being a boundarybetween the deformation and the normal curved contour, the sealedtogether area of said portions of the container overlapping saidboundary whereby the material of the deformation of the one lip isstressed so as to be held in firm sealing engagement with the other lip.2. An article as in claim 1, wherein the container has a roundedconfiguration, said deformation being constituted by flattening of oneside wall portion of the container adjacent to a lip.
 3. An article asin claim 1, wherein said portions of the container which are sealedtogether are constituted by material which extends outwardly laterallyon opposite sides of the container from the body thereof so that whensealed, opposite sides of the container at the ends of the lipsextending away from the lips are held sealed together.
 4. An article asin claim 1, wherein the boundary defined between said deformation andsaid curved surface contour of the container is a curve.
 5. An articleas in claim 2, wherein the boundary defined by said flat deformation andsaid curved contour of the container is a curve.
 6. An article as inclaim 1, wherein said side portions of the container which are heldtogether in sealing realtionship are tapered at their lateral edges. 7.An article as in claim 1, wherein the materials of the containeradjacent both of said lIps have permanent sets therein, each defining abouundary between the deformation and the normal curved contour of thecontainer and the sealed together area of said portions of the containeroverlapping said boundaries whereby to stress the material of thedeformation of both lips in a manner to cause them to normally be heldtogether in firm sealing relationship.